Understanding globalization: Who has access to global knowledge?

Globalization researcher Manfred B. Steger, a returning guest at Eurac Research, analyzed globalization from a differentiated perspective, emphasizing the need of a theoretical framework first. Differentiation must be integral to globalization. Specifically, the concept of "social symbiosis" can be applied to globalization theory: "symbiosis" refers to the connection and interaction between different globalization formations, where no formation can exist without the others. He also highlighted that there are no signs of deglobalization — an end to globalization — nor indications of stronger regionalization.

Political philosopher Sebastiano Maffettone also presented a theoretical approach to globalization. He discussed political realism, liberal democracies, pacifism, and the possibility of a just war, particularly when it defends liberal democracies. Economist Henning Vöpel concluded his lecture on the waves, paradigms, and narratives of globalization with an outlook on the future of liberal democracies. They face a massive crisis of trust, where many citizens no longer believe that democracy can address the numerous crises in favor of the population. To renew this trust, new narratives are needed.

Political economist James Mittelman presented possible scenarios for the future of globalization: the liberal, the catastrophic, and the hopeful scenarios. The future of globalization will be primarily a battle of ideas and a struggle of material and social forces, he emphasized. How can the decolonization of globalization succeed? The conference provided a pragmatic answer: it can only begin if white men step back and focus their energy on promoting new generations that do not share their profile.

The conference also featured the book presentation of "Globalization – Past, Present, Future" published by the University of California Press. Zoe Krueger Weisel, a political scientist at the Center for Advanced Studies, moderated a discussion with editors Manfred B. Steger and Ingrid Kofler, along with Tommaso Durante, researcher in Globalization and Mediatization. Finally, the journal "New Global Studies" (NGS, De Gruyter), published in collaboration with researchers at the Center for Advanced Studies at Eurac Research, was introduced. Christoph Kircher, a sociologist at Eurac Research and Managing Editor, provided insights into the journal's origin, thematic focus, and publication criteria.